This turkey shepherd’s pie recipe will have you counting down the days for the day after thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving leftover turkey shepherd’s pie
My thanksgiving leftover makeovers are just as popular as many of my thanksgiving favorites themselves. Last year, these Turkey Filo Rolls were a hit, as was this savory bread pudding and this fun curried shepherd’s pie with lamb filling! But this Creamy Turkey Shepherd’s Pie… this is one of a kind. All the lip-smacking flavors and comfort of thanksgiving in a Turkey Shepherd’s Pie with a cheesy, bacon studded, creamy mashed potato topping! So loosen up that belt buckle and let’s get to work, shall we? 🙂 Diced leftover oven roasted turkey (or slow cooked turkey), leftover roasted vegetables (maybe some extra peas too), leftover gravy, some extra ham or bacon, and anything else that was leftover from your thanksgiving feast in one incredible turkey shepherd’s pie! I had to repeatedly slap away hands until I finished taking photos for this one. And the best thing is that it’s not really even a recipe, just one fantastic way to bring your thanksgiving leftovers to life again! There are just a few things you need to get right though.
Recipe notes
You need a good amount of protein (I used a mix of turkey and ham – but you can use chicken or turkey, mixed with bacon or ham). Roasted veggies – If you don’t have any leftover roasted veggies, you can use frozen mixed vegetables instead. I would add some roasted brussels sprouts (chopped roughly), roasted carrots, even leftover green bean casserole! YUM! Creamy factor – I used full cream milk and chicken stock, thickened with corn starch (which keeps this dish gluten free). You can instead use a roux made with flour, or even use leftover gravy for part of that creaminess. Plus, it’s tons of EXTRA flavor! Have leftover thanksgiving stuffing? You can mix things up and add the dressing over one half of this turkey shepherd’s pie, and mashed potatoes over the other half! Or if you love stuffing instead, just scrap the mashed potatoes altogether and cover it with stuffing instead.
With so many ways to customize this delicious leftover makeover creamy turkey shepherd’s pie, you’ll find yourself enjoying this dish any time of the year! Even Mr K, who isn’t the biggest fan of mashed potatoes, couldn’t get enough of it. I’m honestly not sure what to call this – a turkey shepherd’s pie with creamy mashed potatoes on top, or a turkey pie with ultra creamy turkey filling? Regardless, this turkey shepherd’s pie is nothing if not an excess of flavor and the spirit of the holidays. So go ahead, get a spoon and fork and dig in!
Making this dish Allergy-friendly
The mashed potato topping makes this pie gluten free. You can also eliminate the cheese and substitute the milk with a plant based milk to make this recipe dairy free as well.
Creamy turkey and roasted vegetable filling topped with cheese and bacon and creamy mashed potato, and then baked until the potatoes turn a light golden brown. My favorite part was actually the crispy mashed potato edges that get browned and caramelized with bubbling creamy filling just under the surface. There may or may not have been a fork fight between my hubs and myself to claim those caramelized morsels of heaven (there was). We enjoyed this with leftover crustless pumpkin pie and carrot cake all the way through the weekend!
